


Reflection

by FayeC



Category: Finder no Hyouteki | Finder Series
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-19
Updated: 2018-01-19
Packaged: 2019-03-06 18:14:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13416828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FayeC/pseuds/FayeC
Summary: What happens when Yoh & Feodora are left to deal with business.





	Reflection

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING: This is a one shot that is meant to be read AFTER "A New Beginning" which is another one shot that is meant to be read AFTER the third arc of CI: Retribution in order for it to make sense.

“I don’t believe this crap.” Feodora stared in a mixture of rage and awe at the email that had been sitting unread in her mailbox since the day before. She had been busy working in Vladimir’s place while he recovered that she’d not checked her emails for a few days. On top of it all her morning sickness had kicked in, which had been draining her energy like someone was constantly sucking her blood 24/7.

“You don’t believe he’d do this?” Yoh asked over the phone with genuine curiosity. Having heard no feedback from her about the email that had been sent to both of them, he’d expected it as much that she hadn’t seen it. The Feodora everyone knew would have thrown a fit worthy of being married to Mikhail Arbatov the moment she saw the note. Not believing her husband would do this, however, was a surprise. He was under the impression that everyone in the continent knew what Mikhail was capable of.

“Of course, I believe he’d do this,” she said, reading through the email again to make sure it was actually happening. “I just didn’t think Fei Long would go along with it.” She had always been a good judge of character, and she’d hoped that Fei Long would be the force in their relationship that would put some senses into her husband’s head in situations like this. Who would have thought that she’d be looking at a selfie of the lovebirds on Mikhail’s boat complete with leis of yellow and white flowers around their neck. What was more shocking was the note that had accompanied it.

Dear Feodora,

We’ll be gone a few months sailing the Indian Ocean. I have arranged that you get full control over the family’s business while I’m gone. If you can’t get me over the phone just do what you think is best. I trust you explicitly.

P.S. Attached is an announcement with Fei Long’s signature giving Yoh the authority to run the organization while he’s gone. Yoh will know what to do with it. Please release it however you see fit.

P.P.S. Fei Long said take care and don’t stress too much. It’s not good for the baby.

Love,  
Misha & Fei

 

It’s not good for the baby, he said. Feodora seethed at the remark. Fei Long could be such a prick sometimes. Not only did her husband’s lover have no problem whatsoever regarding the fact that she was carrying Mikhail’s child, the man had the audacity to preach her on pregnancy. On top of this Mikhail had left her with the entire family business to run when she could barely handle the never-ending nausea and was throwing up five times a day while dealing with anything from street crooks to high profile criminals in his place. The thought alone was giving her a headache to end all headaches, and she could feel how her breakfast wasn’t going to stay down much longer. She knew she couldn’t count on Mikhail to be a responsible head of the family, but Fei Long should have known better. “Fei Long really should have known better.” She just had to say it out loud.

“You do realize you are counting on a man who nearly succeeded in initiating a full-blown war between three most powerful crime organizations in the continent just to get back at his first crush?” Fei Long’s senses couldn’t even be trusted when he’s on a shopping spree. “I understand the inability to concentrate is a symptom of prenatal depression, but that doesn’t kick in until you’re at least 18 weeks into preg….” he paused at a familiar clicking sound that immediately made him stiffen, “What are you doing?”

“Going to shoot his Lamborghinis,” she said, cocking her gun as she finished checking the bullets. Her Facebook selfie would look really good with the holes in that yellow Murcielago in the background.

“Alternatively,” Yoh said with the same tone he’d always used when Fei Long woke up with random, suicidal ideas on how to make Asami Ryuichi grow brain cancer, one that happened to work most of the time, “you can put the gun down before you overexert yourself, and put his Lamborghinis up for auction at the charity ball a week from now. I will send you the details.” Seriously, why is it always his job to calm down an overindulged crime lord who never seem to understand that bullets cost money?

“That,” Feodora said as she seated herself back down, “would be highly satisfying, thank you.” She could breathe easier just thinking about Mikhail’s face coming back to an empty garage. The cars were all under their subsidiary company’s name for money laundering purposes, and she had just been handed the authority to sign all kinds of shit due to the lovebirds decision to elope without warning. As a matter of fact, this was going to be fun. She could actually rearrange his entire room and put Hello Kitty wallpaper on it to match a set of My Little Pony beddings and the little pink teddy on top.

“I, on the other hand, will need your support in keeping Baishe running before being crucified at the gate while I display this … announcement.” He could hardly walk into Baishe without causing a stir among the men while Fei Long was in office, and now he was being asked to run it without Fei Long telling his overly loyal men not to try and kill him in his sleep. Talk about suicidal ideas…

“Don’t worry,” she said, leaning back on the armchair, enjoying the thought of free access to her husband’s fortune and compound. “There are easier ways to quickly gain the favor of these men.”

“May I remind you that I don’t have the authority to shoot them?” He had to say it before she continued. On the other hand, he could use some tips from the expert. After all, it had taken Feodora Arbatova less than 24 hours to take control over the Arbatov Villa in Macau. “But I’m listening.”

“Pick out the most influential men in the organization,” she said, her melodic voice as vibrant as bird, “and give them Mikhail’s Lamborghinis.”

Now, that, Yoh thought, is a certain way to die.

***

One week later, Yoh found himself standing in front of the Arbatov villa in Macau, waiting to be received by Feodora’s men. Baishe was running more smoothing than he’d ever hoped for given that management had never been one of the skills required for his line of work. To put it in perspective, he’d only managed one man for the past eight years, and that had already proven to be rather suicidal. While he hadn’t been suicidal enough to have promised Mikhail’s Lamborghinis to the head of each department, Feodora had suggested that he gave the men a big bonus under Fei Long’s name and that he threw repeated parties for the underlings until the lovebirds returned from what he could only call a lengthy honeymoon. Of course, all this funding was coming from Fei Long’s monthly allowance, and Feodora had expressed much satisfaction in having found a way to rip off her husband’s lover while they were on their love boat. Knowing what she was going through as a result of this uncalled for honeymoon, he’d agreed to ease her pain by taking her brilliant suggestion, in exchange for support from the Arbatov family when he needed it. They had been communicating daily for the past week and he’d come to show some gratitude to the woman who had practically saved his life twice from two separate disasters resulting from her husband and Fei Long’s earth-shattering romance.

The butler appeared soon after and welcomed him into the villa, leading him upstairs to the library and left him there without much ceremony. Having been in and out of the compound too many times than he could count, the staffs had come to consider him somewhat one of their own and he could pretty much did what he wanted around the house.

He stepped past the book shelves into a room connected by a small corridor. Feodora was at her desk, talking on the phone over some business deals in Russia. She had her hair up into a low bun held together by what appeared to be a pencil, with strands of her curls hanging loose around her face. It was the first time he’d seen her with a casual, untidy appearance. The Feodora he had come to know was always dressed to perfection where a single crease on her dress would have seemed remarkably out of place. He wondered if it had been the workload or the morning sickness that had brought about such a change, and, more importantly, how many people had suffered from it.

She looked up and gestured for him to take a seat, her blue eyes openly scrutinized his appearance from head to toe as she continued to speak in Russian on the phone. The fact that she didn’t attempt to conceal her conversation told him he was trusted enough to listen in, and he knew that she was just looking at his suit, not checking where he’d concealed his weapons.

He took a seat and watched her move to the left corner of the room where the gift he’d had delivered earlier was hanging on a coat hanger. She zipped the bag open and took a step back to look at the black, high-cut, silk dress, and for a moment he thought he saw her smile. It was the first time he’d had to pick a dress for a woman. It would have been much less stressful if that woman wasn’t Feodora Arbatova who could walk down any runway in her working outfit without looking out of place.

When her conversation was over, she turned to him with a curious look on her face. “I’m impressed,” she said. “I assume this comes from Fei Long’s pocket or do I owe you a check?”

Coming from another person, it would have sounded like a great insult, but knowing Feodora, it was simply her being direct and cutting through the crap. He’d always admired that attitude of hers and how she would never waste time standing on ceremony for anything.

“Don’t worry,” he told her casually, “I’ve been double paid for the last seven years by two very rich men who never gave me the possibility of having a life. I might as well spend it sometimes.” It was quite true. He hadn’t spent a cent from his savings for the past eight years. Personal expenses had always been picked up by Baishe while he lived within the headquarter, and it wasn’t as if he could just take leave to go sail the Indian ocean anytime he wanted.

“It still doesn’t explain why you have a nine-digit number on your savings account,” she said as she walked over to sit down on the desk in front of him.

He had to smile at that. For once, he was in the company of a very well-informed boss. “You’ve been doing your homework.”

She smiled back knowingly. “Illegal arms dealings on the side?”

“Stock exchange.”

Feodora nodded. “There’s no need to indulge me. Surely you want to keep your savings for someone in your family.”

“I don’t have a family,” he replied with his usual, emotionless tone. “Consider it a token of my gratitude for your help in the past week.”

She merely lifted her brow at the first statement where most people would have felt the need to show some compassion. The most refreshing thing about being in the company of Feodora Arbatova, was that one could always count on her to never have a shred of useless sympathy. “An intelligent man highly capable in combat and loyal to a fault with no family and no need for money,” she said, leaning over to adjust his crooked tie. “Where did Asami Ryuichi dig you up? I could use a few more like you in the family.”

Yoh looked up at her and made no attempt to remove himself from the contact. “You’re flirting with me,” he said without a change in expression. “Why?” She wasn’t the only one capable of being direct, and he had come to know a very important lesson in dealing with Feodora, which is to consider everything she did with a hidden motive. It was the reason why he had to exercise extreme caution when dealing with this female embodiment of Asami Ryuichi — one that unfortunately didn’t come with a remote controlled boy toy you can utilize.

Feodora laughed, really laughed for the first time since Alexei had died. For once she had been caught red-handed at her game and she was enjoying the same directness he’d used with her immensely. For the first time she was confronted with a man whose discipline was too solid to be seduced by a woman, given the fact that she’d done her homework and knew that he’d been more straight than gay.

“You’re my plus one tonight at the charity ball, you might as well try to play the part,” she said as she rose from the table and went to get the dress. “After all, you’ve been through such great lengths to show off my baby bump for a reason.” She’d known his motive the moment she’d laid eyes on the black dress. It was no coincidence that she’d been preparing a similar dress for the event to make a certain statement. Walking into a red carpet event with her baby bump showing along side a representative of Baishe sends a strong message of their alliance and the continuity of Vladimir’s bloodline. After all that had happened, the two organizations needed that equally.

“The ball starts at six. You should make an appearance around seven to get the most out of it,” Yoh said as he looked at his watch. “You have one hour to get dressed. I’ll wait downstairs.”

***

“I swear I’d never raised so much money in one night,” Feodora said as she stepped out of the helicopter, followed closely by Yoh who had been there to make sure she would return safely to the villa. The night had gone exactly as planned, and due to the rarity of Mikhail’s Lamborghinis and some marketing efforts on her part, the event had drawn the exact profile of guests they’d hoped would show up. Yoh knew how much Feodora had always enjoyed killing two birds with one stone, which explained her cheerful mood that night. “Come in and have a few drinks with me,” she said and headed inside without giving him a chance to say no. Not that he thought he could anyway. He still needed her alliance until Fei Long returned from the honeymoon that he had no idea when.

Yoh stood still for a minute on the helipad, taking a moment to prepare himself for what was to come. He’d hoped to be home by then, or rather, to have escaped her as soon as he’d dropped her off at the villa. Feodora had been nothing but competent in her appearance that night, and he’d caught himself thinking half the time how much easier his job would have been had he worked for her. The problem was that he wasn’t working for her, and as such had to always be careful of her constant attempt at manipulating him into revealing or doing something he shouldn’t. It wasn’t that the challenge had been too much for him to handle, but he’d never been one of those who felt the need to climb Everest in order to prove himself able. Being in the presence of Feodora all night had drained him completely of energy. He could just foresee her pouring him glass after glass of wine to get him to spill some useful information in that villa, and at that stage of exhaustion, he wasn’t so sure how long he could remain on guard. It was a situation he should avoid at all costs, but at the same time his duty to Baishe dictated that he accept the invitation. There should be a limit to how late he had to work overtime, truly.

He took one more breath before entering the villa, and found Feodora waiting for him alone in the dining room. She was opening a bottle of wine as he walked in, which told him that the maids had been excused for the night. Not a good sign, in his opinion.

“Should you really be drinking?” Yoh said as he seated himself at the table, his eyes scanned the room where she may have hidden her weapons. Whatever it was she had in mind that gave her the need to be alone with him couldn’t be good.

“It’s just one glass every now and then.” She handed him a glass and took a seat next to him. “Tonight calls for a celebration, don’t you think?”

The truth was, he would have been in a much more suitable mood for a celebration had she taken the seat on the other side of the table. “It paid off,” Yoh said with a slight shrug and clinked his glass to hers. He was willing to bet the wine she was pouring for him had also been from Mikhail’s secret stash, and was quite certain she was celebrating the fact that she’d just emptied her husband’s garage and pocketed all the money minus the cut that had gone to charity. Which reminded him… “I’ll get you the list of buyers from tonight,” he said. “You might need it later.” Mikhail would want some of those cars back, and it would be wise to have the list ready before all hell breaks loose.

She took a sip from her glass and opened the box of chocolate she’d also brought to the table. “I’ve made the request. They’ll send me an email in the morning.”

He shouldn’t have been surprised, knowing who she was, but still it was a breath of fresh air to know that for once, he didn’t have to worry about everything. Feodora executes her job with the same proficiency as the way she bakes — never forgetting a single ingredient, and in such precision that had earned her his most sincere respect ever since the incident with Toh. In a way, it was strange to see the same woman playing around with her box of chocolate like a child trying to make up her mind which truffle she’d taste first. Strange, because that side of her, he’d come to realize, usually surfaced only in Mikhail’s presence. It made him wonder, if it meant that he’d gained her trust enough to be allowed to see it, or if it had been a deliberate attempt to put him off guard. She was, after all, raised with and married to an Arbatov — the most manipulative and cunning one at that.

“Anyway," she said, turning the piece of truffle she'd finally chosen around with her fingers, "what do you think of Lee Chun Woo?"

Here it comes, Yoh thought as he resisted the urge to adjust himself while those icy blue eyes watched his every gesture and would have noticed the slightest change in his breathing pattern. It felt like being scrutinized by a human lie detector. Fortunately, his years of training as a spy had allowed him to beat the mechanical version without much effort. This particular Russian model, however, he wasn’t so sure. "Twenty-five. BS in engineering from MIT. MBA from Stanford. Heir to his father's cellular enterprise with a net-worth of $2.6 billion. What about him?" He'd seen Feodora with the young man at the ball, having a conversation that seemed to have lasted a little longer than casual greetings. It wasn’t a good thing, considering a certain information that had recently come to his attention.

"I would say: young, eager, intelligent, practical yet slightly unpredictable with a tendency to take risks and gamble when challenged." She said, casually twirling the wine glass in her hand, seemingly oblivious to the fact that the conversation was anything but casual in Yoh’s perspective.

“You judge by character," he nodded and tried to change the subject. In truth, he was rather impressed how she had picked up all this from a brief conversation with Lee. Then again, the thought of what she might have picked up from a week of working closely with him made him wish she didn’t have that skill.

"As a woman," she said and popped the truffle in her mouth, licking her fingers as he watched, “I am equipped with the superior intuition to identify which male specimens are worthy of contributing to the future of the human race. That is my advantage. So, yes, I tend to judge by character."

“That, and the number of digits in his savings." He added, amused at how she’d so elegantly described the fact that she could smell and decipher testosterone. The very thing that made Feodora Arbatova so lethal was her way of utilizing her femininity while performing manly tasks she seemed to have perfected. It was extremely difficult for him to simply describe her as ‘a woman’ for what she was putting him through over wine and a box of harmless chocolate.

"You can't make money off a poor man.” She smiled and shrugged at the statement.

She had a point, although he was certain her definition of ‘a poor man’ was off in every way. “I should consider myself lucky that I'm not nearly rich enough for your interest." He finished the wine in his glass and placed it down to his far right where it would have been difficult for her to reach. It was about time he found an excuse to end the night before she continued the conversation regarding Lee Chun Woo, which would put him in a rather difficult situation.

Just before he attempted to rise from his seat to bid her good night, Feodora leaned past him to the right, her bare arm brushed against his sleeve as she pulled the glass back across, filling it once more with the wine. "I happen to trade in both skills and currency," she said, "and a man of your expertise would be able to tell me if a certain rumor is true," she picked up a piece of chocolate and held it before him, "truffle?"

You smiled at his own naivety to ever think that he had any right to excuse himself without her permission in the first place. “Is it poisoned?" He said, half out of spite and half out of self-preservation.

"I wouldn't dream of it," she replied and ate the piece herself when he refused to take it from her, “at least not until you tell me about this offer from Lee Baishe is said to be considering."

At that moment, Yoh caught himself thinking how pleasant his life would be had Mikhail married a beauty pageant whose primary concern was to heal the world, not conquer it. "Baishe does not consider anything without the presence of Liu Fei Long," he told her. It was a good offer, and as far as he was concerned, Fei Long should have the first pick of the litter.

"You are keeping something from me that he would have shared freely with Mikhail.” she demanded, keeping her eyes on him as she spoke.

That, he might have, but his job wasn’t to presume what Fei Long would or wouldn’t do. "I wouldn't know," Yoh replied with a subtle smile. "I'm not exact the one sleeping with your husband." It had to sting, but hopefully it was enough to deviate her from the subject. It was easier to deal with crime lords having a fit of rage than one with an intention to interrogate in his opinion.

As he waited for her to lash back at him, Feodora simply leaned back and uncrossed her legs. The smooth, silk skirt of her high-cut dress slipped off her knee as she lifted up her right leg and placed her red, four-inch needle heel down on the seat of his chair in the empty space between his thighs. The pointed-toe Louboutin was positioned directly over his groin, its signature red sole hovering just an inch above the fabric of his trousers. "You haven't answered my question."

He kept his eyes on hers, trying hard not to visualize in his head the position of her foot and what the revealing dress he'd so foolishly picked without thinking could do to any man whose ability to procreate still functioned. "I've never acknowledged the existence of such offer."

She pressed her toe down half way, and he just managed to nail himself to the chair hard enough to not jolt free from the seat at the contact. "You do acknowledge the existence of my foot on your erection, yes?"

That he did acknowledge, a little too much to be exact. "I admit to having no control over the natural male instinct to breed when given an opportunity," he said, holding her gaze as he carefully lifted her foot up from where it had been resting, "but what I do with that opportunity is an entirely different story. This," he slipped off her shoe and placed it on the table, "is dangerous." It was indeed dangerous, considering how close he was to follow that instinct and take that opportunity.

She paused for a moment as if trying to catch something from his expression. “You’re afraid,” she said.

“I’m responsible.” He was, at least, trying to remain so.

Slipping her leg free from his hand, she rose from her chair and walked towards him, pausing to stand in the space between his knees. He watched quietly as she slowly removed the hair pin from her bun, releasing the soft curls of her golden brown hair before leaning over to whisper in his ear, “You’re afraid,” Feodora repeated, her lips hovering just above his collar and remained there long after the words had been spoken.

“It is a dangerous game you are playing, Mrs. Arbatova.” The name was more to remind him than her who she was, and that it was literally dangerous for him to even think about touching this woman who happened to be intensely interested in breaking his discipline at the time.

She gave him a smile — the same one that often surfaced when she’d finally made up her mind over something — and he knew then that he wasn’t going to be leaving the villa anytime soon.

“It is a dangerous world we live in,” Feodora said, moving her legs out one after the other from between his knees to either side of his chair, “or are you still considering yourself too innocent for all this?” She tugged up her dress and pushed it back, exposing the full length of her thighs as she lowered herself on his lap.

He was far from innocent, and he knew exactly what she was offering, only coming from Feodora, one had to be an idiot to think the offer would come without a cost. He needed a few minutes to think of a way to come out of this without risking too much, but the way she was positioning herself against his erection that had just doubled in size in precisely three seconds convinced him that his voice of reason wasn’t going to last anywhere near a few minutes. “You are asking me to sleep with Mikhail Arbatov’s wife while she’s pregnant with his child,” he said, pausing for a quick breath when her hand found its way between his legs. “As someone currently charged with running Baishe, do you really think I would jeopardize this new alliance for my personal …,” he jolted at the sudden pressure from her hand, “…needs?”

“On the contrary,” Feodora said, her breaths quickened to match those of the man between her thighs, “I am asking you to sleep with his pregnant wife while he’s out there somewhere fucking your boss. Surely you can see the difference.”

In a way, she had a point. While he was willing to admit that it was a little too late to rectify the situation when, by that time, she’d already unzipped his trousers and was holding him rather firmly in the palm of her hand, it was this particular statement that had released him from the sense of duty.

“I should really be insulted that you’re using me to spite him.” He ran his hands along the length of her thighs, feeling the firmness of the muscles that told him what those legs were capable of for the first time.

She sneered and shifted her position as he pulled down her underwear a few inches below her hips. “If you think I’ve chosen you because I can’t find anyone else…”

With his arms around her waist, he pulled her closer before she could finish the sentence. “I think you’ve chosen me because I would sting the most.”

“And that would be something you might object to?”

He supposed it didn’t hurt to be irresponsible every once in a while. “Not in the least,” he replied and heard her gasp when he entered. It was his turn to be impatient. After all, the one-sided foreplay had been going on long enough.

***

The sky was overcast that morning, and Yoh frowned at the drop of rain that landed on his hand. He had come out to the balcony for a much needed cigarette, and it appeared that he couldn’t accomplish even that. After what had happened last night, he needed some time alone to think, and for an event that could turn his world upside down, a smoke would have helped.

“Is that guilt or regret?” A melodic voice sounded from behind.

He turned to see Feodora leaning against the door frame in her silk robe that was tied loosely at the waist, looking at him. It was a rare sight to see her so casually dressed with her hair down, unruly and possibly tangled.

"Neither," he said as he placed the cigarette back in its case. "My conscience was clear."

“As always.” She smiled but made no attempt to narrow the distance between them. "Tell me what you're thinking."

In a way, he'd expected the morning after to be awkward given the state of their relationship, but hearing her say those words without a hint of affection or pretension had given him the space he needed. He'd been out there, deep in thoughts for the past hour trying to come to a conclusion of what to do with his life from that night onwards, having overstepped his boundary with someone who had the power to change too many things. Yet the moment she'd appeared and asked him that question, he felt convinced that she had all the answers. There was aways an air of complete control around Feodora that put everyone at ease in times of trouble. Somehow she’d always known exactly what to do with any given situation, and that day he had a feeling it was no different.

"I'm thinking," he said, turning to face her once more, "what Fei Long would say to this." He paused and watched the corner of her lips curved up a little at that thought. "I'm thinking what your husband would do when he finds out. I'm thinking," he took a step closer and inhaled before asking her the most important question, "if this would continue or if it would be a one time event." It felt somewhat heartless to say those words to a woman he'd just slept with, but knowing Feodora, he knew she would take it with reason.

"The question is," she said, pushing her hair back and gathered it into a loose braid. "Do you want it to continue?"

Did he want to? The question sounded strange to him. All his life he’d always been faced with whether he could or should do something, not whether he wanted to. He’d never considered his own desires to be one of the factors he used to make a decision, and the nature of his profession had never allowed him to. Yet Feodora was standing there asking what he wanted to do, giving him a choice whether to continue this relationship which would put him more or less at her level. But then there was also another issue at play she might have overlooked. “My heart and loyalty have been taken a long time ago." He was certain she'd already known this, but he had to make sure they were on the same page.

"So have mine," she stated promptly, and he, too, had known the fact without needing it spoken.

"It would be a relationship without love,” he said, just to be clear.

She gave him a slight frown. “Do I look like a woman who needs love to survive?"

That, he knew she didn’t. The only love she’d ever wanted was Mikhail’s, and so far she had been standing extremely tall without it. But why him? A woman like Feodora could have had any man she wanted. He could understand the temptation to get back at Mikhail, but a long term relationship she was speaking of was an entirely different story. There was still something else she wanted from him. “I was under the impression that my bank account isn't sufficient for your interest."

She smiled, as though she’d been expecting the question. “You have the skills I need. You understand protocol. Your resume is almost impossible to match. Your dedication to Fei Long is highly useful, and as long as there's mutual interest between him and Mikhail you are valuable enough for my interest."

It perfectly described why she would want him by her side, but mentioned nothing about his end of the deal. “Remind me again what I'm getting out of this?”

"That is your problem, not mine.” Her answer was blunt, but at the same time had not been spoken out of shrewdness. Feodora was practical, not heartless.

"Look at it this way,” she continued after a moment of silence from him. "You know that I will always put Mikhail before you, just as I know that you will always do the same for Fei Long. We understand each other on the level that no one else, not even Fei Long and Mikhail, ever could. I can’t tell you what you will get out of this, because if you don't have the foresight to see what you can do with this alliance, then you won’t get anything out of this alliance. Do you see it?”

She was proposing a different kind of business relationship, a partnership with non-monetary benefits. It would be a relationship based on reason and understanding, with no emotional baggage or expectations to be met - the kind of relationship that would not fail. She would benefit from his expertise, and he would have access to her power and connection. As long as Baishe and Arbatov remained allies through Mikhail and Fei Long, the two organizations could only gain from working together at both levels of management. “Mikhail won’t have a problem with this?"

"I am carrying the one and only heir of the Arbatov family.” She snorted. “He doesn't get to have a problem."

Still, they had to think about this carefully. “He can use it against you in court during your divorce and leave you with nothing."

She frowned as though they had been words of insult. “You don't really think I married him without a prenup that I personally wrote every word, do you?" It was the most natural thing to do in her opinion, given the nature of her marriage. She would do anything for Mikhail, that would always be true, but she would have to be a complete idiot to not see the need to protect herself financially given the fact that Mikhail didn’t share the same dedication to her. “Vladimir had given me more assets than he'd ever given his two sons to keep them from being confiscated if things go wrong way before our marriage. I will be allowed to keep them, as my son will inherit everything from me and from the Arbatov family. Financially, I am secure."

It shouldn’t have surprised him that she had given thoughts on the subject, possibly even before she’d decided to invite him into the villa last night. He, on the other hand, had a lot to consider before making that decision. A personal alliance with Feodora would bring many benefits, and as long as they understood each other’s boundaries, it should be a win-win situation, but could he trust her, given who she was? “I will need some time to think.”

She nodded. “If you agree, we can talk about our prenup and room arrangements in this villa."

His mind went blank for a full minute at the statement. “Our what?"

"While I understand your Fei Long problem, I will not risk being used by a man without some kind of leverage and compensation,” she explained with her most serious expression as though she was stating her terms for a new business deal. “For this to continue we will marry and you will sign an agreement that will entitle me to half of your assets before and after marriage should you break it in any way. In return, I will give you back the deed and our shares of the Macau casino that once belonged to Fei Long should I be the one to violate our agreement. You will, of course, have a chance to discuss the terms before we make the decision.”

Regardless of how ridiculous it was that they were even talking about marriage after what he’d originally considered to be a one night stand, it did solve a lot of problems he was concerned with. They would be in a functional relationship with a legitimate agreement to protect both sides from betrayal. He would be able to discuss the use of firearms, manpower, and trade routes of the Arbatovs on paper that would be highly valuable to Fei Long. In a way, this proposal had just become the biggest business deal of his life that was too big to brush aside the possibility. “You mentioned room arrangements.” There was that problem too. He was certain Mikhail wouldn’t appreciate him moving into his villa, and he would work better living at Baishe.

“I will have to be away a lot to Russia, to help Vladimir run the family,” she said, this time with a hint of fatigue in her tone. “Until my son is old enough, I would like him to remain here where it’s safer while I’m on business trips. I can’t count on Mikhail to look after him,” she paused and gave him a look that reminded him the fact that she was also just a woman. “I was hoping you would.”

His heart softened a little as he finally understood the main reason of her need to have this relationship. “So,” he couldn’t suppress his smile at the thought, “you’ve been planning all this just to get a nanny?”

She stepped closer to him, her expression more tender now as she reached up to play with his hair. “You will have the opportunity to raise the next leader of the Arbatov family, and as his protector, the right to limit or control his activities while he remains in your care, which will in turn give you some leverage over his overindulging father, grandfather, and godfather, namely Mikhail, Vladimir, and Liu Fei Long of Baishe. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

That he would. In fact, he might just decide to do this for that leverage alone. “You’ve agreed to that request from Fei Long?” He was, after all, her husband’s lover.

She gave him a shrug. “It will make my son the most powerful man in the continent, being backed by both Arbatov and Liu family while holding a remote control to Asami Ryuichi. Why not?”

Why not indeed. The boy would have access to the power of three extremely powerful mafia organizations. The idea of raising this boy alone gave him a chill running down his spine. “And you, as his mother, will likely become the most powerful woman in the world.” It occurred to him then, that another woman in her place might have asked for a large fortune from Mikhail as compensation, Feodora, however, had the foresight to secure the most well-endowed and powerful sperm of the century. “How long have you been planning this?”

The smile on her face was unforgettable. “You don’t really think that I’d subject myself to this just to have his baby, do you?”

***

The helicopter landed on the roof of the hospital. Fei Long and Mikhail stepped off quickly, followed closely by the two bodyguards who were struggling to keep up.

“Which floor?” Mikhail asked as he entered the building and headed to the elevator, still a irritated at the fact that he should have been the one who could answer that question. Instead, Yoh had called Fei Long to let him know the baby had been delivered safely. The divorce may have already been finalized months ago, but that didn’t mean that he had no right to feel pissed about being the last person anyone thought of notifying about the birth of his son.

“21,” Fei Long said and pressed the button. “Calm down.” He placed his hand on Mikhail’s jacket and gave him a quick rub on the back, sensing how agitated he was. “You are still his father and your son isn’t going anywhere.” They were, after all, in a hospital, and Feodora wouldn’t be able to step in to stop Mikhail from killing her new husband. While he could understand Mikhail’s reason perfectly well, he, too, was on Feodora’s side. To offer Yoh a life outside of work was all he could do for someone who would willingly die for him. It was a strange relationship they had, Yoh and Feodora, but somehow they work together better than most other married couples he’d come across. At least for the time being.

The elevator’s door opened to a corridor full of armed men in black uniform that made the entire floor look like some kind of fortress. Feodora wasn’t taking any chances, Fei Long thought, impressed at the security measures. According to Yoh, she had reserved the entire floor and arranged for her guards to be placed there a week before her due date. She’d also checked herself into the hospital that morning and delivered her baby while Yoh was in the middle of the meeting she had sent him to in her place, knowing she would be unable to attend. It was like Feodora to have insisted that everything continued to function smoothly while she stopped by at the hospital to deliver her baby. The more he thought about it, the more he was beginning to feel sorry for the doctors in charge and the nurses along with them.

The guards promptly drew their weapons as they stepped out, and then backed down the moment they were recognized. As they walked down the corridor, another elevator opened with a chime that drew the attention of the guards back to where Fei Long and Mikhail was, only this time, at the sight of the new visitor had the men straightened like they’d been suddenly whipped into shape.

Yoh stepped out into the hallway slowly, resisting the need to sigh at the way the guards reacted around him lately. For the past few months, Feodora had exhausted his resources in recruiting new guards and setting up new security systems in the villa in preparation for the baby. It would have been fine with him had she not executed harsh punishments for every single flaw and mishap he’d brought to her attention. As a result, the entire household was looking at him as someone with the power to decide their entire future with just one phone call to Feodora. He would never get used to this, but he supposed it was necessary for him to be able to control the guards in order to protect the one and only heir of the Arbatov family. She had done all this on purpose, of course.

“Oh good, you’re here,” Yoh stepped up to greet Fei Long and Mikhail, turning to the latter with an important request. “She wanted a good espresso very badly. I had a machine brought up, but so far no one’s been able to make that perfect cup she’d been craving.” It was one of the things she’d tried to stay off during pregnancy, and she had been meaning to reward herself with one before she had to avoid it again while breastfeeding.

Mikhail frowned at the suggestion. “So I’ve been officially degraded to a Barista. How wonderful.”

Yoh could almost snort at those words. “In light of the fact that I’ve been degraded from an international spy to a bodyguard and now to a full time nanny in less than a decade, consider yourself fortunate,” he said and walked past them towards the room. “I suggest you get over there and make her one before we all become janitors.” He had, as a matter of fact, mopped up blood stains from floors and walls on a few occasions. Mikhail had absolutely no idea what he’d had to go through in his absence, the least he could do to make up for it was make her the damn cup of espresso.

They entered the room together and found Feodora lying on the bed talking on her cell phone. She glanced up at them and nodded in acknowledgement before continuing her conversation.

“I don’t care what you have to do,” Feodora barked into the phone, “get your arse out of there and be in Moscow by 4pm. And have Vladimir sign those papers before he leaves the villa or consider yourself fired!” She hung up and tossed her phone on the bed, sighing in complete exhaustion.

“You do realize threatening to fire Dad’s right hand man will give you even more work to do?” Mikhail approached the bed and leaned over to give her a kiss on the forehead. “How are you?”

“Tired,” she said as she turned to Fei Long and gave him a smile to acknowledge his presence before turning back to Mikhail. “Can you call Dmitri and tell him to fly Ivan out of Kiev as soon as he can? No, before you do that, please make me a cup of coffee,” she pleaded and turned to Yoh who was now standing by the other side of the bed. “Please tell me that’s cake,” she said, gesturing at the bag he was holding.

“I have something better.” He smiled and pulled out a box of her favorite truffles he’d ordered to be put on a plane all the way from Japan that morning. One thing he had come to learn about Feodora, is that nothing calms her down like a box of chocolate.

“You read my mind,” she said with a big childish smile at the sight of it. “The sheets are horrible,” she added as she sat up on the bed.

“I will have it changed for you tonight,” Yoh said and took the phone from her hand. “Get some rest. Mikhail is here to do whatever needs to be done in Russia including making you that perfect cup of espresso.” He turned to Mikhail and handed him the phone. “I believe you need to call Dmitri?”

Fei Long resisted the need to laugh until his stomach hurts at the expression on Mikhail’s face. It was priceless to see someone rub Mikhail Arbatov the wrong way without having to pay for it. The cutest thing about it was, that Mikhail would pout and rant like a child long afterwards. It reminded Fei Long, that Mikhail was having a normal life, and resembled not a shred of the man he and Feodora had to bring back from coma just under a year ago.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door and the guards announced her doctor’s visit. He walked in with a small folder in his arms, followed by a nurse who was carrying her baby, now thoroughly cleaned and wrapped tightly in a blanket.

The doctor took one look around the room and headed towards Mikhail with the folder. “You must be the father?”

“He’s the sperm donator,” Feodora said abruptly and turned to Yoh then Fei Long respectively. “This is the baby’s stepfather and the longhaired man over there is the godfather of the child,” she said.

The old man turned to looked back an forth between the three men in the room, confused as to whom he should address the matter at hand.

Feodora sighed heavily and reached out her arms toward the nurse. Did she have to deal with everything? “The paperworks go to my husband, the bill goes to Fei Long, and the baby is mine,” she clarified. “The biological father is just here for decorative purposes,” she couldn’t help adding for the sake of personal satisfaction.

“Don’t forget the coffee,” Mikhail said sarcastically. He might as well be the one to insult himself while at it.

“And the coffee, yes,” she confirmed and gave him a knowing smile as she received the baby into her arms. He was sleeping soundly, and she was happy to see how healthy he seemed.

“We’ll also need to send in the birth certificate soon,” the doctor said, handing Yoh the folder he was holding. “I assume you already have a name for the baby?”

Silence filled the room as the four of them looked at one another in a sudden revelation that they’d all forgotten this particular detail. “Have we?” Feodora asked with a slight frown. She had been so busy preparing for everything and had completely forgotten she had to name him.

“May I?” Fei Long said as he walked over to the bed and reached out to touch the baby’s delicate hand, stirring him from his sleep in the process. Bright, yellow-green eyes blinked at him in curiosity and Fei Long smiled when the small fingers closed around a lock of his hair and tugged it lightly. So eager to take what he wants, Fei Long thought. Just like someone he once knew.

There was only one name that came to his mind, the only one appropriate. “Alexei,” Fei Long said softly, his tone matching the tenderness in his eyes as he looked at the baby. “Alexei Mikhailovich Arbatov.”

Fedora blinked away the tears that seemed to have come from nowhere. For months she and Mikhail had been avoiding that name for fear of having to relive the loss all over again. Now that Fei Long had spoken it, she found herself crying at how beautiful the name sounded and how befitting it was to bestow it upon her son. The family would feel complete again, and they would be able to call Alexei out loud, this time without being reminded what they’d lost, but rather what they’d gained.

“Alyosha it is then,” Feodora said as she kissed her baby softly, wiping tears from her eyes afterwards.

“Is that a good idea?” You said, looking at Fei Long and wondering if he was the only one in that room who thought it was a bad omen to name a new baby after someone who’d died so young and tragically at that, despite how much they’d all loved Alexei.

“It’s fine,” Mikhail said softly as he took the baby from Feodora into his arms and held him tight. “This time I’ll protect you properly,” he whispered. “My Alyosha.”


End file.
